1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an all terrain vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
US Patent Publication No. US 2006/0270503 A1 discloses an example of the conventional all terrain vehicle in which an engine unit is disposed under a seat and an exhaust pipe is connected to the rear surface of the engine unit. In the vehicle, a muffler is disposed rearward of the seat, and the exhaust pipe is connected to the muffler. The exhaust pipe is disposed transversely lateral to the muffler. Plural portions of the exhaust pipe are bent in a U-shape.
As described above, when the exhaust pipe is connected to the rear surface of the engine unit, the entire vehicle may be enlarged in a large longitudinal direction. In order to avoid this, it is desirable to form the exhaust pipe in a U-shape by bending it in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This is because engine performance determines the necessary length of the exhaust pipe and therefore there is a constraint against shortening the length of the exhaust pipe. When the exhaust pipe is bent in a U-shape, it is desirable to bend the exhaust pipe in a gently curved shape for reducing its ventilation resistance. In this case, however, a large space is necessary for disposing the exhaust pipe. Additionally, the muffler is connected to the exhaust pipe. Therefore, the vehicle needs a space for accommodating the exhaust pipe and the muffler. When a large space is necessary for disposing the exhaust pipe and the muffler, this makes it difficult to compactly form the vehicle.